Font ResizeIn a world where today's technology sometimes seems obsolete by next week, the latest "must-have" items heading into Monday's first day of Pennsylvania's two-week rifle deer season are unusually simple.
According to one area retailer, scent reduction is the name of the game.
"Everybody seems to want to kill the smell of the hunter," said William Zerby, a New Salem resident who has spent 10 years working at Deer Valley Sporting Goods in York. "There are special body washes, shampoos and mouthwash that reduces human odor to the animals. That seems to be the big thing right now."
But for every hunter who runs out to stock up on these personal grooming products, another would never spend a penny on them.
"Special deodorants? Mouthwashes? That stuff is crazy," said Bob Brunner, a 53-year-old outdoorsman from Spring Grove. "They have scent-lock clothing, and I guess it does help, to a point, but it seems like just another way to sell stuff and make money.
"In the old days, people didn't have special soap or scent-lock clothes and they still seemed to shoot deer, didn't they?"
Brunner's philosophy
illustrates the differences between hunters. It seems there are as many approaches to things as there are places to hunt.
"As much as there's a very large community of hunters, hunting itself is a very personal thing for people," said Jerry Feaser, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Game
"Some people want to hunt with a firearm because their grandfather or great-grandfather used it," Feaser said. "At the PGC, we're about what's lawful and what the state legislature decides is lawful. But once you get beyond that, it's up to the hunter to make the personal choice as to what method they will employ."
At its very core -- regardless of equipment -- hunting provides an opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts to challenge the forces of nature, both in terms of the elements and whatever creatures are roaming the woods in a given season.
"Hunting is more of a personal thing because every hunter gets their own self-gratification out of it," said 40-year-old Red Lion resident Dan Fuqua. "Everybody who hunts has a story about why they do it.
"For me, personally, it's more a man-against-nature thing. You want to succeed at that point in time when you're hunting. Being able to capture the game, so to speak, is the rewarding part of it, but not everyone gets that. It's the thrill of the hunt for me."
Laurence Davis has spent the past two years working as a gunsmith at Gander Mountain's West Manchester Township store.
His workload picks up as rifle deer season approaches, and Davis said he sees a large number of hunters taking care of their older guns and making the occasional upgrade.
"A lot of hunters now are getting scopes on their older guns," Davis said. "Everybody wants a scope on their gun. It seems to be the 'in' thing to do.
"Guns, whether you're using them for hunting or collecting them, experience trends. It's just like clothing. This year, it seems scopes are the latest thing that's cool and 'in.'"
Asked whether he prefers traditional gear or fancy technology, Davis didn't hesitate.
"For me, I don't care whether it's old or new, as long as it hits what I'm shooting at," Davis said. "I don't hunt really. I mostly put holes in paper. But, to me, it's a case of whether it will do what I need it to do.
"If a gun hits the target and is maintainable, where I'm not always having to fix it, I don't care whether it's old or new."
After shopping last week at Gander Mountain with his family, Fuqua said he tends to stick with the gear he already has rather than spending money on new stuff.
"In my opinion, it's probably a good 75 percent of people use the same equipment over and over again," said Fuqua, who started hunting at age 7. "Usually, you find that most of the sportsmen who go out to try new stuff all the time are the ones who aren't very successful.
"They're the ones who don't really have a good idea how to hunt. They're just looking for a magic potion. I know a lot of people like that."
Of course, technological advances in hunting aren't limited to guns, accessories or clothing. The Internet has turned into a treasure trove for hunters.
It's not just about shopping Cabela's, Gander Mountain's or L.L. Bean's Web sites for the latest gear, gadgets and apparel, either.
While sports fans can post their feelings about a given team on dozens of blogs, message boards and forums, hunters have nearly as many sites of their own to choose from.
"Those types of Web sites have become a place for sportsmen and conservationists to share information, technical expertise and just generally have a place to talk about outdoor activities," Feaser said. "The National Turkey Federation, United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania and Pheasants Forever all have their sites.
"They can solicit members, raise money for causes and help people understand what's going on around them."
Through the success of online video Web sites such as YouTube.com, hunters can now share clips of their successes with others. But the site isn't just being used for socializing.
The PGC believes YouTube can serve an educational purpose.
"It's kind of been an interesting evolution, if you will," Feaser said. "I know that the Game Commission has taken advantage of YouTube, as we have been posting video clips of our own on the Web site and issuing news releases on them.
"We're using it because we think it's an excellent tool to reach a broader audience, including the hunters themselves."
As part of its ongoing effort across the state, the PGC posted a new deer management video on YouTube under the account name "PAGameCommission."
According to a news release, the agency also has plans to provide additional videos on the site about wildlife and its wildlife habitat efforts. A tour of State Game Land 145 in the Lebanon/Lancaster county area is expected to be posted.
And the PGC posted three 10-minute clips on YouTube with a variety of information on Pennsylvania deer management -- always a hot topic among hunters and residents.
Despite all the preparation, equipment upgrades and online tutorials, a successful hunter usually has one thing on his or her side: luck.
"A friend of mine said he once went hunting wearing only a Carhartt jacket, a pair of jeans and his regular shoes, and he had deer coming right up to where he was," Brunner said. "They tell you you need to wear this or that, but if that were really true, you would never see a deer if you didn't use that stuff.
"People see deer all the time without spending the money on such things because it's all a matter of being in the right place at the right time."
dave@ydr.com; 771-2063.
DEER SEASON AT A GLANCE
Fast facts
What: Pennsylvania's rifle deer season
When: Monday through Dec. 13
Where: Statewide
What can be harvested: One antlered deer (with restrictions) per hunting license. Also, an antlerless deer with each required antlerless license. Antler restrictions: In most of the state, for an antlered deer to be shot legally, it must have three or more points on one antler. A point is defined as any antler projection (including the brow tine) at least 1 inch in length from base to tip. The main beam tip is counted as a point, regardless of length.
What's new: One of the biggest changes this year is the new five-day, antlered-deer-only season in Wildlife Management Units 2D, 2G, 3C and 4B. That includes western, northcentral, extreme northeastern and southcentral portions of the state. (WMU 4B includes most of Juniata and Perry counties and part of Franklin County. To see a map of the state's WMUs go online to www.pgc.state.pa.us.) This five-day season runs from Monday through Friday and is followed immediately in those four WMUs by seven days of concurrent antlered and antlerless deer hunting from Dec. 6 through 13.
The rest of the state still follows the two-week, concurrent antlered and antlerless deer season from Monday through Dec. 13 that has been in place since 2001.
Safety
--- Hunters must wear 250 square inches of fluorescent orange material on the head, chest and back combined at all times while afield.
--- Hunters who are heading afield alone should let a family member or friend know where they'll be hunting and when they're expected to return. Leave a map that marks your hunting locations. Take a cell phone just in case you need to call for help.
--- Hunters who plan to hunt in tree stands are advised to use a fall-restraining device from the moment they leave the ground until they return to it. A full-body safety harness is preferred, but any fall-restraining device is better than none. Hunters also should use a hoist rope to raise and lower their hunting equipment; don't climb with a firearm or pack.
Laws
--- It is illegal to hunt, chase or disturb deer with a firearm within 150 yards of any occupied building without the occupant's permission.
--- It is illegal to use a vehicle to locate game.
--- It is illegal to have more than 25 people in a hunting party.
--- It is illegal to use portable two-way radios to alert hunters about the presence or approach of game.
--- All hunters who take a deer must fill out their harvest tag and attach it to the deer's ear before moving the carcass. The tag can be secured to the base of the ear with a string drawn tightly if the hunter plans to have the deer mounted. The harvest report card -- provided with every license sold -- must be mailed to the Game Commission within 10 days after taking the deer.
Send us your info
We want to publish news of your deer kills. Send us the hunter's full name and hometown, a short description of the deer and when and where the animal was shot. If there was anything unique or interesting about the hunt, please include that, too. Photos can be published if they do not contain too much gore.
Send your news and photos to Sports Editor Chris Otto by e-mail (cotto@ydr.com) or mail (1891 Loucks Road, York, PA, 17408). Include your full name, address and a telephone number for verification.
